Concepts and prototypes : Austin Maxi
August 5, 2011
· 
Keith Adams · 
5 Comments
The Maxi received a couple of facelifts before it reached production in 1969.
Here are a number of prototype images of the ADO14 project before it received its final Roy Haynes penned front and rear ends. Pictures supplied by Ian Nicholls.
Styling sketch
There’s no disguising the fact that it was always going to be a tough task to incorporate the BMC 1800′s doors on an all-new car…
Full-size clays
Front and rear styling was limited in appeal – with a particularly nasty ‘V’ kink in the front…
Full-sized prototype
Closer to the final production car, but still not resolved around the nose
The four-door Morris Maxi
Four-door Maxi was dropped because of the management’s desire to avoid direct competition with the Ford Cortina. The failure of the Maxi to sell in sufficient numbers may well have nailed the coffin door shut on this derivative. (Photo: Men and Motors, Barney Sharratt)
Maxi saloon out testing in Portugal before the launch… (Photo: Maxi Marathon, BMIHT)
Thanks to Ian Nicholls for the pictures
Related posts:
- Concepts and prototypes : Maxi-based Aquila
- Concepts and prototypes : Triumph 1300
- Concepts and prototypes : Jaguar XJ6
- Concepts and prototypes : Austin Allegro
- Concepts and prototypes : three-door Maestros
5 Responses
That Maxi Saloon looks mighty like our Austin Tasman / Kimberley from 1971 which replaced the Austin 1800. Had a 6 cyl motor.
If anything, the long wheelbase suits the saloon shape.
This is very different to the Tasman/Kimberley: They both used the same rear screen as the ‘normal’ 1800, basically just the 3rd side window was filled in and the roof gutter was placed differently – quite a clever re-design with not too many changes to the roof structure (or panels). That Maxi saloon has its own roof construction that shares nothing with the landcrab (and only the front half with the hatchback).
Personally I don’t think the Maxi ever was a pretty car, but that saloon is ever so ungainly…
Like a poor man’s Rolls Royce Rangoon / Bentley Bengal…
Alec Issigonis was a very flawed genius- he should never have been allowed to style his own cars unless in a class of his devising (eg Mini).
‘The four door was dropped because management wanted to avoid competing with the Cortina’… well if not competing adequately with Ford was BMH’s main objective, then they certainly achieved handsomely with the actual production car range (as did BL and later AR…). Although the word ‘handsomely’ is somewhat inconguous in any sentence referring to an Austin Maxi…
The Aquila project could have rescued this long maligned car, but like so many sensible and low cost alternatives for replacing their models, it was yet another missed opportunity.
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